


Marriage Counseling

by RebaK1tten



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: I know nothing about The Vampire Diaries, I know nothing about how relationship counseling would go, M/M, Marriage Counseling, Mistaken Identity, Stiles is in a bad relationship with someone, except the name, vampire off stage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29483706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebaK1tten/pseuds/RebaK1tten
Summary: Stiles is supposed to go to relationship counseling with, you know, the person he's in a relationship with.Enter Peter Fucking Hale.
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles/other male character
Comments: 41
Kudos: 303





	Marriage Counseling

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for encouragement from the Steter Network Chat on Discord.

“Okay, we’re here, um, thanks for the ride.” Stiles reaches into a pocket and pulls out a twenty he had at the ready. “There’s a coffee shop up the street, I scoped it out for you and you’ll like it. And so… I’ll phone you when we’re done.”

Peter snorts and takes off his seat belt while shutting off the car. “No, you’re not going to just park me up the block for an hour.”

“You don’t think you’re going to come into first relationship counseling session along with Damon and me? ‘Cause that’s not gonna happen.” He looks at his phone and curses, punching a quick text. “Although he’s not here yet and he said he would be…”

“Why am I here then? You’re perfectly capable of driving and I think even your boyfriend can drive.” Peter rolls his eyes, and says, “God knows he’s old enough.”

Stiles sighs, and checks his phone again. “Nice age joke, old man. And you drove me because…” He scrubs a hand through his hair and slumps into the seat. “You drove me because I’m tired and thinking that if it’s a really good and positive session or if it’s horribly disappointing, I’ll probably be a fucking mess afterwards and will want a ride home so I don’t drive into a tree. Either accidentally or on purpose. There, happy?”

Leaning his head back on the seat’s headrest, Peter shuts his eyes for a minute and takes a deep breath. “Okay, then,” he says after a moment. “You’ve just convinced me that I am not waiting in the car. I’ll go up with you and wait in the waiting room, or whatever he has here.

“She.” He undoes his seatbelt and opens the door, unfolding his long legs from Peter’s small sportscar. “Let’s go and, thanks, I guess.” He points at Peter and says, “No eavesdropping.”

“Why I’d never!”

The office of Lillian Washman, Marriage, Family and Child Counselor, is more attractive than your average therapist’s office, or at least the waiting room.

There’s a couch that’s comfortable and attractive and fresh flowers, much nicer than silk arrangements that might be in some offices. And a very nice Tiffany-style table lamp, lit now, to account for the rapidly coming night.

“Stiles, get off your phone.”

He waves Peter away, not bothering to turn his head. “Minute.”

Peter checks his watch and sighs, “Stiles, you wanted this appointment, hang up your damn phone and pay attention.”

“Hello?” Lillian is a young senior, tall and regal with blonde hair piled on her head. She looks between the two of them, standing at opposite ends of the office and says, “I think you’re Stiles, right?”

“Yeah. Yes, yes, I’m Stiles,” he answers, checking his phone once more. “Sorry about this, but…”

“But you made this appointment and now you can’t even be present for it? Really, Stiles, I’m sure Ms. Washman would appreciate you paying attention.”

“Lilian, please. Stiles, do you need a couple more minutes?”

He shakes his head and shoves the phone into his back pocket, shooting an angry look at Peter. “No, no thanks, Lilian. And sorry about this and…”

“Not a problem, I know sometimes it’s hard to stop the world.” She gestures to her office with a smile. “Please come in and get comfortable.”

When Stiles freezes, Peter says, “Thank you,” and steps around him to enter the counselor’s office. “Coming, Stiles? You’re the one who wanted to be here.”

“To talk about my relationship _with_ my partner,” he hisses at Peter’s back. He sits on one end of the couch, watching Peter settle on the other end.

It’s a nice room, and there’s more personality than Stiles expected. The walls are nicely painted and the pictures look like someone chose them individually, not just decorating a hotel room. He thinks back to the therapist he went to after his mother died and there’s no dolls or toys, which makes sense, this is supposed to be about adults talking about adult things.

Like problems with his relationship with Damon, who is supposed to be here instead of Peter, who is a dick.

Lilian sits in a wing-backed chair to the side of the couch. Much better than if she were sitting behind her desk. “If it’s okay with you both, I normally tape my sessions so I can make notes afterwards and not be distracted while we’re talking.”

She waits until both men shrug and nod and continues, “Stiles, when we had our video meeting, you talked about feeling that Damon doesn’t always listen to you. And that your relationship isn’t balanced between the two of you. Is that something you want to talk about?”

“A power imbalance? In your relationship? Color me shocked.” Peter smirks because he does, and Stiles wants to punch it off his pretty face.

“Are you surprised to hear this?” Lilian asks Peter. “Is this something you’ve discussed before?”

“No, Stiles doesn’t talk a lot about relationships or emotions. He’d prefer to keep things bottled up inside until he explodes over something relatively small.”

“Stiles said that he doesn’t feel like you’re listening. Is that something you’d like to talk about with him?” Lilian asks, leaning forward in her chair and looking at Peter expectantly.

He blinks and looks at Stiles, grin slowly appearing on his face. “There is a bit of a misunderstanding, I’m afraid, Lilian. I’m not Damon. This evening appointment was made for when Damon was available, but he stood Stiles up.”

“He probably got tied up or something,” Stile mutters, pulling out his phone to check for messages, which conveniently also covers the blush high on his cheeks. “He said he’d come. I mean he wasn’t thrilled or anything, but…”

Lilian’s makes a couple of notes on pad that she quickly puts down. “You sound disappointed. Do you want to stay?” When Stiles nods and puts his phone away, she says, “So, who is here with you?”

“Peter Hale. I’m a friend.”

Stiles snorts and says, “Yeah, I guess he is. I mean he drove me and he’s here. Probably to gloat; he hates Damon.”

“I don’t like how he treats you and how you’re not around much since you’ve been going out with him.” Peter gives Lilian his charming smile and says, “With his other lovers, he’s still been around his friends. His boyfriends have always gotten along with Stiles’ friend group and if they don’t, they don’t last long. Damon, on the other hand, seems to be trying to keep Stiles away from people. Probably because he knows no one will approve of them together.”

“He doesn’t hang around, because he knows you guys don’t like him!”

“Is that true, Peter?”

Peter nods. “Of course it’s true. When he’s been around, he acts…” He pauses, looking at Stiles as though that’ll help him explain it. “I think that’s it – he acts. He’s much more careful with his words and you can tell he’s not relaxed the way he should be. The way someone whose partner isn’t an asshole would feel around close friends.”

‘You can tell’ is an obvious euphemism for ‘I can smell it on him’ and that pisses Stiles off. But he has to admit, it makes him think, too. The body doesn’t lie even if your brain is trying to.

“Well, you’re an asshole and you’re nice to me around people. So, it’s not just the being an asshole part.” It’s the best Stiles can come up with now and really, isn’t it time to go?

“I’m nice to you because I like you and I know you like the people around you, so why would I want to alienate people?”

Stiles fidgets in his chair and looks to Lilian to see if she’ll jump in and ask a question and get away from this line of questioning. She does not, just nods at him encouragingly, small smile on her face.

“Well, you know, when we’re together, just me and Damon, he’s a lot different than he is with other people.” Technically true.

“Of course he is, most people do let their guard down around people they trust and love.” Peter crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back in the cushions. “And honestly, you can’t say that he doesn’t want you for one thing.”

“For god’s sake, Peter, you make me sound like some kind of delicate maiden!”

Peter turns to Lilian and says, “He’s a vampire. And Stiles is his target. If there’s love it’s love for his availability. And gullibility.”

Lilian nods and says, “Some people are vampires, sucking the life out of you, taking away your energy by their presence and –”

“No.” He leans over and tugs down Stiles’ shirt collar, making him squeal. “See. He’s a vampire. Or fancies himself as one, or whatever.”

“You have no right,” Stiles hisses, shutting his eyes and pulling the shirt back over the bruises and bites on his throat. He takes a breath, pushing down the magic that wants to lash out at Peter. “No right to say that or to judge me. No right.”

“Normally, I would say that as long as things are safe, sane and consensual, a person’s enjoyment of sex isn’t anyone else’s business.” Lilian shakes her head and says, “Stiles, I don’t think that applies here. And now that I know that’s happening, I can see that you are looking – maybe a little more tired than anxiety over a relationship might cause you to be. I don’t know how often that happens, but it’s physically not good for you. Not good for either of you.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I probably shouldn’t have done that,” Peter says, waving a hand as though he can brush away what he did. “But I’m _not_ sorry that it’s out because you need to talk about it and listen to reason.” He brushes a hand down Stiles’ arm and says, “He’s using you. And when you’re used up, he’ll move on. It’s what they do.”

Stiles slumps forward, head in his hands. “I know. You’re right, I know that. I just thought…maybe this would be different.”

“Peter?” Lilian’s head is tilted as she studies him. “You’re obviously concerned about Stiles, but is there something else I’m picking up?”

Head still down, he watches Peter freeze up, crossing arms and legs protectively. “Yeah, can’t you tell. He’s got a huge crush on me and wants to date me. Cause I’m a giant idiot.”

“You’re not a giant idiot and yes, I’d date you, if you weren’t so busy throwing yourself at people who don’t deserve you.”

“You’d date me? Really?” Stiles asks, sitting back up. He reaches out and grabs Peter’s arm, whispering, “Ooo, head rush. But don’t change the subject. You think we should date?”

Peter shrugs, studying a picture on Lilian’s wall. Water painting of some small town somewhere with sheep crossing the tiny main street. “I’m not opposed to it. Contrary to popular opinion, I enjoy human company and I eat food, and sometimes I talk with people over dinner. Wine. A movie or a play or whatever.”

“I think it’s important that Stiles decides what to do about Damon and that relationship, before he gets involved with someone else,” Lilian, the buzz-kill, says. The way she looks between the two of them says it’s not a question or a request. “It is, however, almost the end of our appointment. This was…an unusual one for me. I think you both have things to think about, right?

They all three stand, patting pockets, checking for car keys and phones.

“Yeah, it was pretty eventful.” Stiles eyes search Peter’s face and whatever he sees there, makes him smile.

Lilian’s phone is out and she glances at them while typing something in. “If this time continues to work, I’ll see you both next week.”

“Wait, what? Why?” Stiles stammers, looking to see that Peter looks a little surprised as well. “This was supposed to be me trying to make me and Damon better, and it did. I’m dumping his ass tonight. So we’re not coming back.”

“But you and Peter are going to start seeing each other?” Lilian leans against her desk and smiles at them both, eyebrow raised. “You’re starting a relationship together?”

Peter sighs and nods, taking Stiles’ elbow to turn him towards the door before he can continue arguing. “Have a good week, Lilian. Same time next week.”


End file.
